


Better Believe It

by WritingBastard



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Bullying, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:33:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25157803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingBastard/pseuds/WritingBastard
Summary: Akko's second year in Luna Nova is about to start! After all the excitement of the first year, she and Diana are both looking forward to having a regular year at their dream school, but they are each going through their own personal problems.Rated T for mentions of bullying
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 9
Kudos: 78





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 2 is already done, but I'm gonna wait a week before I post it, since I don't know if people are going to like this. I've been stuck for a long time trying to write the rest of this fic, maybe posting it will help lol

She arrived a week earlier at Luna Nova.

Generally, it was acceptable to arrive two days before the new school year started, but Diana couldn't help herself. She wanted to get a head start on her subjects, and there were a few books in the school's library that she needed to check out early, most of which were single exemplars. Not to mention, Diana was excited to start her second year at Luna Nova. Her first year was abnormal, to say the least, so she was looking forward to having a normal school year. Though, with Akko, she couldn't tell. The Japanese witch had a knack for getting into trouble, even without the Rod of Arcturus.

Which was another reason for her early arrival. She wanted to check up on Akko. Diana knew she had stayed at Luna Nova to practice her magic under the guidance of Professor Ursula over the summer, so she was curious to know about Akko's progress. Maybe Diana could even help her learn a few things. After all, she knew the feeling of playing catch up with her peers.

Diana tried again to convince herself that it wasn't also because she regretted her initial behaviour towards Akko. She shook her head slightly, focusing on more positive thoughts. Or just something else that wouldn't make her feel so guilty. Smiling, she walked through the school gates.

After dropping off her luggage at the dormitory, Diana headed out to find Akko. Somehow, she knew the brunette witch would be at the school grounds. She was currently taking a lap around it, with Professor Ursula standing in the middle of the field, holding a chronometer as she watched Akko's progress. From what Diana had seen before leaving for her manor at the start of summer, Akko had improved considerably. That she could maintain herself balanced on the broom, even while moving at a reasonable speed, was a clear sign of the time she had put into practicing. Diana had to admit it was impressive.

"Diana! Hello! What are you doing here?" The Cavendish's thoughts were interrupted as a surprised Professor Ursula noticed her presence. Diana waved at her and had to stifle a laugh as she noticed Akko almost fell out of her broom when she heard Diana's name. Calmly walking over to the midfield, she waved at Akko as well, who returned the gesture with an awkward wave of her own and an embarrassed smile. As she approached Ursula, Diana had to fight down a sudden pain in her chest. Akko was a very excitable person by nature. The blonde witch would be lying to herself if she didn't say she was hoping that Akko would be a bit happier for her arrival. After all, they had parted ways as good friends. Or so Diana had hoped.

Clearing her throat, she said "Hello, Professor. I decided to return earlier to better prepare for my classes this year. I see Akko has improved a great deal since I've last seen her. How is she doing with the spells?"

Ursula smiled, "That's very commendable of you, Diana. Make sure you don't work yourself out. And yes, Akko has definitely improved a lot. I think awakening the Grand Triskelion may have made it easier for her to get her magic back. Her spells are much better now, I'm sure she is going to catch up very quickly to the others."

By this point, Akko had slowly made her way towards the two of them, and smiled brightly at Diana. The Cavendish witch immediately forgot her previous thoughts, replying with a smile of her own. She barely had any time to say, "Hello, Akk-" before she was cut short as the Japanese witch enveloped her in a strong hug that pinned her arms to her sides. "Hi, Diana! Welcome back!"

Diana's feelings of being both so flustered and so happy at the same time battled against each other, and she fought the flush creeping up her cheeks.

"A-Akko... can't... breathe..."

"Oh! Sorry," she said, letting go of her. Akko put her hands behind her back and smiled sheepishly. "A-anyway, what are you doing here so soon? Classes don't start for another week..."

As she realigned her clothing, Diana considered telling Akko the truth. I wanted to check up on you. For a scary second, she almost said it out loud, before remembering herself that maybe it would be a weird thing to say. Especially with Professor Ursula watching them. "I wanted to get a head start on the second year subjects, and there are some books I need to check out of the library before anyone else has the chance," she said, looking at Ursula expectantly, who readjusted her glasses.

"Well, the library is still closed for the summer, but I'm sure if we speak with Principal Holbrooke we can arrange something."

Diana's attention was returned to Akko as she felt the brunette take her by the hands.

"Come on, Diana! There'll be time for books later! I wanna show you all the cool spells I've learned!"

* * *

"I have to say, Akko, you've come a long way. Your transformation magic is even better, and you've even managed to make a pretty accurate astrological reading."

"I promised you I would improve, didn't I? Now I'm definitely ready for my second year here!"

They were sitting on a bench in the courtyard, watching the shadows growing longer. Akko had tired herself out from all the spells she demonstrated to Diana and had been breathing heavily until a few moments ago. Diana was happy for the comfortable silence that settled between them. Not too long ago, this would have been awkward and suffocating for Diana, but she was glad that time was behind them.

"Oh, I have an idea!"

The Cavendish turned her head to look at Akko, and almost fell from the bench when she realized how close the Japanese witch's face was to her. She had to put a hand behind her to steady herself.

"We should go to Blytonbury sometime this week and get ice cream before classes begin!" The shine in Akko's eyes and her earnest smile made it hard for Diana to control yet another blush.

"Y-yes, sure. We can go tomorrow after you practice with professor Ursula." Diana shakily released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding, praying that Akko wouldn't notice.

Apparently, however, the brunette noticed their physical proximity at that point, instantly retracting and wringing her hands together. "Y-you know, may-maybe you could, I don't know, come to... my practice... tomorrow..." Akko's voice got progressively smaller as she spoke, and she looked down at her own feet instead of keeping her gaze on the other girl. Diana felt maybe she should decline the offer, since Akko sounded so unsure, and she was not ignorant when it came to the previous state of her relationship with Akko. In fact, Diana was duly aware of how she had not been as supportive of Akko as she could have been. This year, she had decided things would be different.

"Of course, Akko! I will be there." She hoped her smile and calm tone of voice would be enough to tranquilize Akko. For some reason, she only got a timid smile in response. All of a sudden, Akko jumped up from the bench, and without even looking back at Diana, started sprinting toward her room.

"Thanks, Diana, see you tomorrow!"

She had never been so puzzled by Akko's behaviour before. She still felt it was worth it, however, just from seeing the smile on her face.


	2. 2

During the summer, Akko had realized her feelings for Diana had evolved into something more. She didn't know exactly what to make of those emotions yet, but she didn't want her to find out. Somehow, the idea terrified Akko. The week she spent with Diana was probably the happiest she had at Luna Nova. Akko had not had the chance to just forget about her studies for a long time, but eating ice cream with Diana, talking to her about Chariot and teaching her how to play the card game were the best parts of the time they both spent together, before their classes returned.

Her upbeat mood did not last. It held out until most of the other students came back.

The teachers, now informed of her situation, had acknowledged her participation in stopping the missile and the improvement to her magical skills over summer vacation. The students, however, had apparently convinced themselves that Diana was the one responsible for everything, including awakening the Grand Triskelion. After all, it was easier to believe the Cavendish prodigy was the one who accomplished those incredible feats. Much easier than to think that Diana had only supported Akko, that the girl who came from a non-witch family was the one who realized what magic was truly about. 

The first week of classes had been a festival of snide comments, whispering and giggling behind Akko's back, crumpled paper notes with mean remarks being thrown at her during class and even tripping her in the hallways. Akko tried her best to ignore all of it and focus on the classes, but by the end of the week, she knew it wasn't working. Some of the words kept repeating inside her head. Stupid. Worthless. No-name witch.

The sun was hanging low, just a small slice visible over the trees that surrounded Luna Nova Academy. Akko had been standing in the west lookout tower, hoping no one would find her there. Wishing she had taken the time to learn an invisibility spell, perhaps. Of course, with her luck, someone did find her. She heard the sound of soft footsteps echoing from the stairwell, accompanied by Diana's voice.

"Akko? Are you there?"

As soon as she saw gold locks emerging from the stairs, Akko put on her widest grin to greet Diana. "Diana! Hey!" The Cavendish had no time to react before she was tightly embraced by Akko. She hugged her back, which was a surprise for Akko. She wasn't used to Diana replying to her hugs this readily. The warmness from the contact melted away some of her worries, at least for some time.

"Have you been here this whole time?" the blonde witch asked after they parted from each other's arms. Akko was still smiling, her cheeks tinted with red. Her recently found feelings for Diana had been getting harder to control every time they saw each other. Diana, however, had a worried look on her face. "Lotte is worried about you. No one could find out where you went. Is something wrong?"

"What? No, I just came here to practice a bit on my own!"

The lie came a bit too easily for her. She felt a pang of guilt as the words rolled off her tongue. Akko didn't like lying to Diana, but she also didn't like to see Diana worried. She had so much weight on her shoulders, Akko hoped she could help lessen the burden. Diana creased her brow, but didn't question her further. "Well, if you want, I could help you out. You do know you can ask me for help any time, don't you?"

"Thanks, Diana! But I'm done for now. I was just about to head back, actually. Sorry that I made everyone worry, heh..." trying her best to look sheepish, Akko scratched the back of her head as she said it.

Sighing, Diana turned around to head back down the stairs. "Alright, then. But please refrain from disappearing like this again. At least tell someone where you're going beforehand. I got- ahem, we got worried, is what I mean", she coughed at the end, trying to play it off as she hoped Akko wouldn't notice her reddening cheeks. It wouldn't do to get so easily embarrassed.

"Sorry, I promise it won't happen again!"

As their shoes rasped against the stone steps below, Akko kept her gaze focused on the golden curls spilling from Diana's head. She sorely wished she could run her fingers through them, feeling the softness of it. A bit of its scent wafted up toward her nose, and she couldn't help but feel slightly intoxicated from how pleasant it smelled. It was then that she noticed that Diana had been speaking to her, and she had been too distracted fantasizing about her hair, of all things, instead of paying attention. "Ah, sorry, what was that, Diana?"

Giggling a bit, Diana replied, "I asked how were your classes going. Have you been able to keep up with them?"

That year, their teams only had two classes together, which was not enough for Diana to notice how Akko was being harassed. Of course, the people who had been bullying Akko knew that they were friends now, and though they didn't understand the reasoning for the Cavendish witch's association with Akko, they certainly did not want to risk her fury. Nothing was ever done in Diana's presence.

Glad that Diana was ahead of her, she said "Oh, yeah, they've been great! Everything is pretty much a continuation from last year, which is basically what I've been studying for the past three months, so it's been pretty easy so far." Well, at least the last part is true...

"It's good to hear that. And remember, if you ever have any doubts, I'm sure I can find the time to help you out."

"Thanks. You know, for everything. You're a really good friend, Diana."

She almost tripped on the last step, hearing Akko say that. The Japanese witch was surprised by her own honesty, but she did not regret saying it. Diana had quickly become one of her best friends, even going out of her way to help Akko whenever she needed it. Akko only hoped she could be just as good of a friend to Diana. She knew she couldn't hold a candle to her magical ability, but maybe she could be a good friend in other ways. Whatever the case, Akko had made up her mind a long time ago that she would at least try. As they walked together to the cafeteria for dinner, Akko kept up the conversation, "So, how have your classes been going, star student? Are the teachers still relying on you for answers?" She nudged Diana with her elbow at the nickname, receiving a chuckle in response.

"Everything has been great, but... you know, I wish they wouldn't do that so much. I'm here to learn, just like everyone else."

"But, Diana, you know so much stuff! You're the best student in Luna Nova!"

"I do not believe that is the case. Even so, I worked very hard to get to this point. When the teachers ask me to answer instead of other students, I feel like they are not getting the same chance as me. Also, it's impossible for me to know all the answers for their questions! I just feel overwhelmed, as if I'm being set up to fail. At times, I feel I'm not allowed to make mistakes, and I am just so tired of that!"

Diana stopped talking when she noticed the curious look Akko had on her face. "Oh, my apologies, I did not realize I was rambling."

In response, Akko gave her a small smile. "I didn't know you felt this way, Diana. Maybe you could talk to the teachers? Or at least the principal, they would listen to you!"

"I know they would! That is part of the problem, though. Will they listen to me because I have a problem, or will they listen to me because I am a Cavendish? I certainly behaved as such in my first year. Maybe I brought this upon myself, acting the way I did last year."

Akko walked ahead and turned around, stopping in front of Diana's path. "Diana! The important thing is that you're a different person now. You changed! And you are allowed to make mistakes! Take it from someone who's made a lot of them. That's how you learn!"

She then took Diana's hands in her own and looked her in the eyes. "You're an amazing witch, Diana, and I believe in you, OK? I'm here for you, too, don't forget that." She tried to ignore the heat that had crawled up her neck and onto her face, while a smile slowly overcame the blonde girl's face. Akko couldn't quite describe her feeling of elation when she saw Diana's smile, but she knew it was only getting stronger every time she witnessed it. It also seemed to Akko as if Diana had been smiling more often than she remembered, but it might have been because, previously, she had been too occupied with being mad at Diana that she did not notice her smile. She was so lost in thought, she didn't notice that Diana had been calling her name.

"Ah, sorry! What was that?"

"Akko, could you please let go of my hands now?"

"Oh! Y-yeah, sure. Sorry."

Diana chuckled as Akko quickly let go of her hands, looked at the spot between her feet and mumbled some unintelligible apologies. Her rubor was now as clear as day, Diana with a slight blush on her cheeks to match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! By the way, I post all updates and new fics on my tumblr account, @thewritingbastard

**Author's Note:**

> I originally thought of this fic as a slow burn, but I'm an impatient person, so I'm not sure how long it's actually going to be. I'll try to make it at least 5 chapters, but for now, I'll just leave it undefined, in case I end up writing more or less than that.


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